📄 Abstract
Eating behaviour and mental health are closely interconnected through complex biological, psychological, and lifestyle processes. Emerging evidence from nutritional psychiatry indicates that dietary habits influence emotional well-being, cognitive functioning, and psychological resilience, while mental health conditions simultaneously affect appetite, food preferences, and eating patterns. Healthy dietary patterns rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and fermented foods support brain health by promoting neurotransmitter synthesis, reducing systemic inflammation, and maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Conversely, unhealthy eating behaviours such as emotional eating, excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods, irregular meal patterns, and high sugar intake are associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and impaired cognitive performance. Psychological characteristics including resilience, self-efficacy, personality, and coping strategies also shape eating behaviours and influence overall well-being. Furthermore, rapid urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, environmental changes, and increasing psychosocial stress have substantially altered dietary habits, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as India. This review synthesizes current evidence on the biological, psychological, and lifestyle pathways linking eating behaviour and mental health. It also highlights the importance of integrating nutritional counselling, psychological interventions, and public health strategies to promote holistic well-being. By adopting a multidisciplinary perspective, this review emphasizes healthy eating behaviour as a practical and sustainable approach for improving mental health and preventing common psychological disorders.
🏷️ Keywords
📚 How to Cite:
Harshika Singh, Neha Shukla , EATING BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH: BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND LIFESTYLE PERSPECTIVES , Volume 11 , Issue 8, August 2026, EPRA International Journal of Research & Development (IJRD) , Pages: 38 - 43 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra28830